To the King
by Aslan's Lamb
Summary: When Valerie's town is destroyed by a dragon, she sets out on a perilous journey to the King of Kaleo.  You don't need to know the game in order to understand the story.
1. The Dragon

This is the sixth fanfic I've written and the first disclaimer I've ever written. Usually, I find disclaimers annoying and I always skip them when I _read_ fanfics. But in this case, I want it to be clear what is mine and what is not. So here goes: The setting is not mine. Although, I've added details, the setting comes from the game. The main character,Valerie, _is_ completely mine and I hope you come to like her as much as I do. The only other character which is completely mine is Valerie's father. All the other characters are from the game, although I have added details to each one of them. The plot is partly mine. Basically, the external plot is from the game (although I've added details) and the internal plot is mine. Or let me put it this way: Everything that happens _to_ Valerie is from the game. Everything that happens _in_ Valerie is mine. And, I think _that_ part is the more important one.

For those of you that have not played the game online before, you'll be a lot more interested in the plot. For those of you that have already played it, please do not reveal what will happen next when reviewing. Other than that, please review! Constructive criticism is welcome.

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Chapter One- The Dragon 

My name is Valerie. I was born in Soulous, a quiet town on the edge of the kingdom of Kaleo. My life was quite simple, and rather lonely back then. I was an only child, my mother died when I was seven, my father when I was fourteen. Ordinarily, I would be sent to an orphanage but the villagers saw that I could support myself perfectly well and so they let me stay and live alone. I lived in a small house, planting vegetables in the garden, picking berries and mushrooms in the forest and shooting and selling geese and ducks. I had always had a good aim and my father and I had often gone hunting when he was alive.

I had no close friends, just a few people I talked to occasionally. I was afraid of getting too close to anybody. I did not want to be dependent in any way. I could handle a bow and arrows when it came to birds and I could also protect myself with those same arrows. No robbers ever came to my home. Even young men never called on me and I was glad for that. At the moment, when my life changed completely, I was sixteen years old.

I was walking along the road, on the way home from a morning walk, rather glum because I could not get any birds for a few days. They all seemed to disappear for no apparent reason. But as I was about to find out, animals often have a way of sensing danger and getting away in time. I was looking down. It had become a habit to look down, less people would talk to me that way. I was kicking a rock down the path. Suddenly, a huge shadow covered the earth in front of me. I gasped and looked up. I saw a dragon.

Most people know what a dragon looks like. I knew him for a dragon right away even though he flew by in a flash. I stopped and stared. I had heard stories and I had seen paintings in old books and I knew that dragons had existed once, but never had I supposed that they were still alive today. I stared at the place where the dragon was, my mouth wide open until the smell of smoke reached me. I unfroze. Smoke meant a fire. I began to run. As I ran I felt my hair ribbon slip off and fall to the ground but I did not stop to pick it up. I simply ran. I forgot all about the dragon. I did not connect him and the fire. All I thought was, there's a fire in town and I must help put it out.

As I reached the town's main street I felt the smell of smoke become so strong that I began to cough. I looked up through watery eyes.

"No!" I cried out. My house was on fire. So were many others. An entire line of houses was on fire, the flames licking the ground, and the smoke so thick I could barely see. But how? These houses were not backed up against each other. They did not catch fire from each other. Each was lighted separately. At that moment I saw the dragon once more, flying away in the distance. Suddenly I realized it was him. His fault.

I tried to get some water from the well and put the fire out but I began to cough and choke and gasp for breath, and I realized I had to get to a place where I could breathe. I could not save my house all alone. So I ran back to the forest I had come from. I ran and ran until I fell down on an old stump by the lake. I sat there for a moment just trying to catch my breath in the smoke free air. Once I caught my breath, I thought of my ruined house and felt a lump in my throat. I hadn't cried for two years and I wasn't about to start now. But my house was destroyed. My whole town was destroyed according to what I saw on my way here. Burned houses here, burned houses there.

But what about the people? Where was everybody? It was early morning. Very early. I realized with horror that most people were probably asleep when this happened. And so they…and at that moment I could stand it no longer. I began to cry. Cry for my house, cry for all the people who were burned in their beds, cry for my destroyed town. Why? I wondered. Why? Why did the dragon destroy our town? What did we ever do to him?

I stayed in the forest until evening. I picked berries all day. I was starving but I was afraid to go back. Yet, as it began to get dark, I knew I had to. The woods were not safe at night. I knew this better than anyone. My father had been killed by a bear when out in the woods at night. I was there when it happened, and the memory still haunted me. As the air got chillier, the darkness seemed to close in on me and I began to shiver. I hadn't been in the woods at night since the accident. It seemed like any moment something might jump out of the shadows and grab me. I couldn't sit there any longer. I knew I had to go back.

I ran down the path. I reached the central street. The fire had gone out and only a trace of smoke was left in the night air. But the all houses were black and charred. So was mine. I peeked into my window. Everything was completely burned up. At that moment, I owned nothing but the clothes on my back and a small pouch which held a flask of water and some berries. My greatest losses were my bow and arrows. How would I shoot birds without them? And my money was probably burned up too.

Why didn't I see anybody? I looked everywhere but not a trace of people remained. I shouted hoping someone would hear me but no one answered. They couldn't all have been killed, could they? What if they were? How would I live? How would I survive all alone? I had almost begun to panic when I thought of something. My house was completely burned up. But maybe not everything was. Maybe there were some things around which hadn't perished. I began to search.

Under a bunch of burned branches, I found some coins. I felt no qualms about taking them. There was no one else there to use them. As I looked around I found more coins in various places. Soon I had twenty coins in my pouch. I also found a book. It was mostly burnt up but one page wasn't completely destroyed, just had holes in it. It might not seem very valuable, but that page held the ancient Kaleoan Alphabet and an explanation of how to read it. I thought it was interesting and so I ripped the page out and took it with me as well.

But suddenly, I saw something much greater. Under a pile of burned rubble, was a beautiful silver shield. It was exactly the sort of thing sold in the market on Sundays for a very high price. But why was it not burned? Coins could be dropped in small openings in walls and cracks in the ground and preserved that way but this great shield wasn't hidden anywhere. So why was it not burned up? I didn't know the answer but I did know that it was too beautiful to leave here. Besides I could sell it for a high price if I reached another town. I picked up the shield and took it with me.


	2. The King and the Shepherd

Up until that point I had been mostly looking down, searching for things. But then I looked towards my house and my mailbox caught my eye. The mailbox was not burned. I don't know why I even looked at it. I had long stopped checking the mail. Yet, for some strange reason I got the desire to do what I had only done with my father, two years ago. It was a ridiculous impulse, I told myself. Yet, it was as if something was calling me to go and look inside of it.

The rusty little door barely lifted. There was a pile of dust covered papers inside. I got letters, I thought in surprise. But my attention was drawn to the one on top. It was not covered with dust. It was thick and white with a golden thread wound through it and colorful, large, cursive letters. _**From the King of Kaleo**_, it read. I drew my breath sharply. I had a letter from the king? The king himself? I read on, struggling over the hard words. I had only gone to village school until I was twelve years old and my reading wasn't the best but finally this is what I read: _**Hear ye, Valerie!**_

_**I, the King of Kaleo request your immediate presence at my castle of Kaleo. I desire to meet you and tell you of the plans that I have for you Follow the map and heed the advice of the one I have sent you.**_

I stared at the letter for quite some time. The king was inviting me to his castle? What could I possibly have that he might need or want? My only skills were my hunting and archery. But surely he couldn't want me for that! He wanted me to live at his castle? This was too much to take in at once. I slowly read the last sentence. Well, the map was right here, colorful and new. Let's see. Here was Soulous and right there was the king's castle. In between them was another town, a forest and a hill. It was quite a long journey. But, I couldn't stay here with no food and no means of getting food. Maybe this was the solution to my problem.

I looked at the last words of the letter wondering what they meant. Whom did the king send? At that moment a man stepped out of the trees. I did not know this man. He was not from my town. He was dressed in a simple dark green tunic and a blue cloak. He had brown hair and a brown beard. He held a staff and he had a sheep trotting by his side.

"Hello, Valerie," he said.

"Hello, sir," I whispered. All the questions built up in my brain suddenly were completely muddled.

"I am a shepherd," he said. "And this is one of my sheep, Eku. He has traveled to the king's castle many times and knows the way well. If you let him, he will guide you."

A sheep would guide me? Surely, I must have misunderstood.

"Are you the one the King promised to send me?" I asked.

The stranger smiled. "Yes."

"So I will not be traveling alone, then?" I asked. I found myself to be both relieved and slightly resentful. The way was dangerous. And yet, I hated to depend on someone else. And this man seemed to know too much and take too much for granted.

"You won't see me traveling with you on this journey," he said. "But you will not be alone."

"Oh, do you mean the sheep, sir?" I asked. "He's hardly what I would call company."

"He may be better company than what you have had for the past few years," the stranger remarked. I stopped and stared.

"Have you met another villager here that has told you of me?" I asked.

The shepherd's gaze traveled over the burnt houses and the ashy ground.

"Is there anyone else here?" he asked. It was a needless question. We could both plainly see that the town was deserted.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling the lump in my throat again.

He noticed.

"You will not be alone, you know," he repeated gently.

I nodded, though I didn't really _know_ and I did not understand.

"I see you've equipped yourself for the journey," he said. "That is good. But do not rely on things too much. You may have to give them up."

Did he mean that I might be robbed along the way? Was he warning me of a band of thieves on the road? Well, I was not going to give up anything I owned without a fight.

"I can protect myself," I said.

The man did not answer but something flickered in his eyes. Was it laughter? I felt hot angry tears come to my eyes, took a step forward and looked up boldly, daring him to laugh. The sheep bleated in alarm. He noticed.

"Do not be afraid," he said soothingly, and I wasn't altogether sure he was speaking to the sheep.

His warm brown eyes looked into mine. I saw genuine concern and my anger melted away. I took a shuddery breath and felt something soft on my hand. I looked down and there was the sheep nuzzling me. I glanced up again. He was gone.

The shepherd had disappeared without a trace. And yet the sheep was right there in front of me, as proof that the shepherd had not been a dream. That and the sudden peace I felt. It hadn't been there before. I wanted to see the King. I would reach him.

I spent the night curled up on the floor of my old house. The sheep lay down next to me and warmed me through the night. In the morning, I got up early, covered in dust and soot. I went to the lake in the forest and bathed myself. Then, I picked some more berries. I was starving and likely to become ill if I ate another berry but there was nothing else. My fishing line had been burned. So were my cooking supplies, so I could not fry some mushrooms. The sheep had a much nicer breakfast of fresh grass. So after eating berries (again) and filling my pouch with them I picked up my silver shield and my map. My journey had begun.


	3. Carnivale

I set off down the road in high spirits, the sheep trotting after me. I thought of reaching the king and being received into the castle. I even hummed a little song. Yet, as hours passed, I got more and more tired. The shield was heavy and several times I wondered if it was worth chugging along in this fashion. It was hot. Many times I regretted losing my hair ribbon. My hair flowed down my back with no way to put it up. I was terribly thirsty and I quickly drank all the water I had with me. I was starving. Finally, as the sky began to darken I saw a colorful sign in the distance. As I got closer I saw it said, "Welcome to Carnivale." I checked the map. This was the town I was to stay at for the night.

As I got closer I saw more than houses and stores. This was not quiet Soulous. The houses were tall and covered in beautiful decorations. Loud music played in the streets. Tantalizing smells nearly drove me out of my mind. Then, I saw the people. They looked different from the people in out town. They all wore colorful clothes that must have cost a fortune. They did not speak, they shouted, they did not just smile, they laughed. And nobody seemed to be doing extremely hard work. The only people working were the entertainers, cooks, traders and merchants. Everyone else was eating, dancing, and playing games.

I chose the first decent looking tavern and decided to order as large a meal as my purse would allow. Surprisingly, things were quite cheap. My large dinner cost only 5 coins. Only after I ate a good large meal, I began to pay attention to my surroundings more. And what I saw fascinated me. In Soulous, entertainment would involve one storyteller, singer, or fortune teller at a time and even then they were usually travelers passing through. Here they had ten of each on every corner. A man was juggling 10 balls on my right. A beautiful woman was singing and dancing on my left, in a way that made me embarrassed to look at her. A fat man in front of me was selling confectionaries that looked delicious but I told myself I had no money to waste on such foolishness.

I had seen an inn on the way into town and now I went back there and asked how much a room cost for one night. I was prepared to sleep outside but as it cost only 7 coins, I decided I could afford it. I fell down on the bed, exhausted and full, but before falling asleep I had the thought that I should probably hide my shield. It might be stolen. So I searched the room for a proper hiding place and found none that would satisfy me. So finally, I fell asleep on top of the shield, thinking that if anyone wanted to steal it they would have to wake me first.

My dreams that night were full of bright colors and laughing faces. I am a heavy sleeper but the music that went on past midnight was in all of my dreams. I woke up much later than I usually did back home. The first thing I felt was someone nudging me. I jumped back almost falling off the bed. It was only the sheep. The sheep? Suddenly, I realized I had no memory of the sheep following me in last night. In fact, was the sheep with me last night at all? I couldn't be sure. I hurriedly dressed and checked to make sure I had all my belongings. I rose and went outside to find a tavern and have a good breakfast. Then, I planned to continue my journey.

I don't know whether it was the light of the morning sun, or simply my being more alert after a good night's sleep, but that morning I saw things I did not see last night. People in ragged clothes sat in the streets and begged for money and food. Their pale, gaunt faces shocked me. But I refused to give them any money. I remembered what my father had told me long ago. "Most beggars are simply too lazy to work. They see begging as an easy way out. Most of them have arms and legs just like you do and the same ability to work for their keep." So I ignored their pleas and quickened my stride.

When I got to the tavern that I dined in the night before, I realized I had no desire to stay there for breakfast. The tables and floors were stained with wine. There was a stench of…well, I wasn't sure what. I did not want to know. I hurriedly, bought a piece of bread and cheese for 4 coins, and placed it in my pouch. I would eat it later, for lunch. I wanted to set out on my journey now. Besides, the sheep hurried me along, nudging me and bleating.

I checked the map. The exit gate was that way. Suddenly, a cheerful voice stopped me.

"Easy game to win, excellent prizes, play as long as you like, win a fortune!" I turned around. "You look strong, young miss! How would you like to get some gold for an easy game?"

I eyed the man suspiciously. I doubted he was being honest. But then I thought of the only 4 coins left in my pouch and stopped. "What sort of game, sir?" I asked.

"You take this slingshot and these stones. Then, you aim and throw. You get 5 throws. Your stone must pop these large fireberries on that branch and you receive 1 coin for each yellow berry and 5 coins for each red one. First, time you play, you get a free turn. After that you pay a coin to play."

"What profit do you gain from this game?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh, no profit at all. But I need the berry juice that trickles down into my jars, to sell it later. It turns into excellent wine, you know. One jar of wine is 5 coins."

I studied the game critically. It seemed easy to me. I was as good with a slingshot as I was with a bow and arrow. There must be some sort of trick, I thought, yet, I could see none. And if the first try was free…

The sheep tugged at my skirt with its' teeth. I pulled my skirt away irritably. This sheep, did not act like a sheep. A sheep was supposed to be submissive and follow its' leader. What sort of sheep was it anyway? "Leave me alone!" I said. Then, I turned to the man and said I would try. After all, it was a free turn. I couldn't possibly lose anything. And I needed the money. I took the slingshot, studied the berries' alignment, aimed and let the stone fly. It flew too far missing the berries. So I'd have to swing it lighter. I tried again and pierced a yellow berry. Then, another yellow one. Then two red ones. The man grinned and gave me 12 golden coins. "An excellent job, young miss!"

I stared at the money. It seemed too easy. Was it real money? It certainly seemed real. "Do you wish to play again?" the man asked grinning even wider. I felt a spark of alarm. "Must I?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh, no, miss. You may continue your journey now if you wish. I was merely offering."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you but no. I will be going now," I said. Tossing my 12 coins in my bag, I finally gave in to the sheep's demands that we go now. Yet, as we walked away I felt a certain reluctance at leaving. I could have stayed some more, I thought. I could have won more money. Maybe I could have won enough money to buy myself a new dress, to look presentable when I reached the King's Castle. Maybe I could have even had some left over for the sweets I saw last night. Yet, there was something about this town that still made me uneasy. I would be glad to leave it.

"Pssst. Miss," I heard a whisper behind me and whirled around. A man in a dark red cloak smiled at me. I pulled back, clutching my shield tightly. "Do not be afraid, miss. I have an excellent offer for you."

"No," I said. "Whatever it is you're selling, I do not need it and I have no money to spare."

"Oh, but miss," he whispered, "This is an offer you won't be able to refuse."

I sighed and waited, wondering how to rid myself of this man.

"See this beautiful tablecloth? It is only 100 golden doubloons. Surely, one as well arrayed as you, should be able to afford it." He motioned to the silver shield. So he believed I was rich. Well, I would clear up that misconception.

I shook my head. "I haven't got that money. And even if I did I would need to save it."

"You will not need to spend money, miss, if you own this tablecloth. It creates the meal of your choice for you and your companion. It serves meals three times a day.

I was still pondering the first sentence. "It creates meals?" I asked.

"That's right."

Nonsense, I thought. My face must have shown it because the man hurriedly added, "I can demonstrate it for you. But step into the shadows, I don't wish to gather a crowd. "

And before I could stop him he set the richly adorned tablecloth on the ground.

"One beef stew, and one blueberry pie," he said lifting up one corner of the tablecloth slightly. I stopped and stared in spite of myself. And then, the food appeared. Not immediately but rather it grew from invisible to small to large. The man looked up at me and grinned. I could not hide my shock. He hadn't been bluffing. It really did create meals. Immediately I thought of how useful it would be to me on my journey. In the forest, I would enjoy a comfortable lunch, then, a delicious dinner on the road. What's more, I wouldn't even have to be dependent on the king's charity. For the next five years, I would have no fear of starvation. I would be well-fed, no matter where I lived and whether I had any money.

But I did not have 100 doubloons. For a moment I considered selling the shield. It was heavy and so far it had been useless. But I did not want to sell it. It was the only thing I owned of any beauty, and when I appeared before the king it would be good to have it. Suddenly, I turned around. The berry popping game was an easy way to get money. I considered it. It would take time to earn 100 doubloons. But it would be worth it. It seemed too easy. Well, I could always stop, if something seemed strange or dishonest to me. I turned around and walked back to the berry-popping game, ignoring the sheep's bleats. The sheep began to pull at my skirt with its' teeth. It was enough to drive one mad! Finally, I had had enough. I bent down and whispered viciously. 'Stop destroying my skirt and stop bleating or else I shall sell you!" The sheep stopped.

The gameowner smiled. "Back so soon?"

"I'd like to try again. Here's a coin," I said.

This time I paused, surveying the berries, deciding which angle would get the red ones.

. Then, I concentrated and hit 3 red berries, and 2 yellow ones. The man whistled as he poured 17 coins into my hands. "You have a gift, miss," he said.

"Again," I said curtly, handing him a coin.


	4. The Beggar Girl

Chapter Four-The Beggar Girl

When I had won 58 coins, I decided to take a small break. My arm was aching. I was getting hungry. I pulled out my piece of bread and cheese and sat down at a bench to eat it. This is the last time, I'll have to eat such a scant meal, I thought. Starting tonight, I'll be dining like nobility. Of course, I still had to hurry and get to the King's castle soon. A permament place to live in and a good occupation was what I needed. Unless… A thought struck me. It was so easy to earn money here. I had never held more than 25 coins at a time and here I had earned 58 in less than an hour. Should I go on at all? Surely, with my skills, I could quickly get rich, purchase a house here in Carnivale.

No. The king had called me. It would be wrong and rude to refuse an invitation from the King himself. After all, if I did not like the job he offered me, I could always go back to Carnivale. I had consumed about half of my bread and cheese. The bread was so dry, I had to chew it incredibly slowly.

"Miss?"

I turned around. A young beggar girl stood facing me. There wasn't anything remarkable about her. She looked just like the other beggars in this town. She was very skinny with dirty blond hair and gray eyes. She wore rags, with some sort of ragged cape which covered her shoulders and arms. She seemed about fourteen, but it was hard to tell because she seemed undernourished.

"Would you share a piece of bread with a poor beggar, miss?"

"I frowned. I was still hungry. "I'm sorry but I cannot," I said. "I cannot afford to buy another one."

"I do not ask you for another one. I want some of yours."

I was shocked at her impudence. "I want some of yours"? The nerve of that girl!

"Go and earn one then," I said sharply. "You have arms, you have legs, don't you?"

She studied me for a moment, her look piercing, hurt, accusing. Finally, I tossed her a coin, uncomfortable under her stare.

"Go!" I said. "Use the coin to try your luck at the fireberry popping game."

She studied me another moment. Then, she said, simply, "Lift my cape."

"What?" I asked.

"Lift my cape."

I did not want to touch her dirty cape. But all the same I stretched out my hand and gingerly lifted the rough, ragged material. With a gasp I drew back. One hand was in a ragged sling, twisted, obviously broken. The other hand had only two fingers and three ugly stumps where the other fingers should be. Hot shame flooded me. My father's words ran through my mind. _Most of of them have arms and legs just like you do,_ he had said. Well not all of them, father. I hurriedly held the bread out to the girl. She looked at me in the same accusing manner, then, turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" I called. "I didn't know!"

I watched as she sat down by the tavern I had dined in last night. But I had suddenly lost my appetite. I threw the rest of the bread into my pouch.

As I walked back to the berry-popping area, I wondered how I could help the girl. A dry, stiff piece of bread was nothing. And then I had a marvelous idea. I would use my new tablecloth to give her a full, delicious meal! I walked up to the man in charge of the game, handed him a coin and aimed.

Time passed. 69 coins. 75 coins. 87 coins. And finally, 106 coins. I stared at the money in my palm, finding it hard to believe that I had earned so much in just two hours. I considered keeping the money. Surely, I had enough now to last for some time. I considered staying for a few more days to earn more. That way I could have money and the tablecloth. But finally, I decided to buy the tablecloth immediately. It was too great an offer, to wait until later.

"I've come to buy the tablecloth," I said, fervently hoping that it was still for sale.

The man grinned and opened his palm. I placed the coins into his palm, my heart beating. He counted and smiled again, placing the rolled up cloth, into my hand. I exhaled. It was mine. Yet, now I had a few questions.

"Why am I the only one buying?" I asked. "Surely such a bargain would appeal to many people."

"I do not sell it at such a bargain to everyone, my dear," he said. "In fact I do not even offer it to everyone."

"But surely you have more than one."

'Oh, yes, many more," he said. "But I never sell more than one to the same person."

"Do you memorize each buyer then?" I asked. I had been hoping to come back here to this town later and buy another tablecloth, once I had more money.

"There are ways to tell. And believe me, miss, I can always tell." He pointed at the street. "See that man walking by. He has one. I can tell, though the signs are invisible to all but a chosen few." He pointed again, with his long thin finger. "But that woman does not."

I stared, trying to figure out what he meant. The man walking by had not been any fatter than the woman, nor did he look more rich. How could he tell?

"How many people in this town have one?" I asked.

"Quite a few. But far not all of them."

Thank you," I said. My work was finished here. Now I needed to get out of this town, as soon as possible. No, not yet. I had wanted to feed the beggar girl. Was I going to waste precious time? Undoubtedly. But, then, I imagined myself in her place and started off toward the place I had seen her last. I could have been in her place. A beggar on the streets. I was an orphan as well.

I found the girl by the door of the tavern.

"Come," I said, motioning for her to follow me. She looked at me suspiciously but followed into a more obscure part of the street.

"What is your favorite food?" I asked. She just stared at me, uncomprehending.

I laid the tablecloth on the ground. "What is your favorite food?" I asked again, impatiently.

She gasped when she saw the tablecloth and her eyes lit up. Evidently, she was familiar with its' magical qualities. "Oh, anything, miss," she said. Fine then, I thought. I turned to the tablecloth. How had the man done it? He had lifted up one corner and asked for the food he wished. Suddenly, fear seized me. What if it did not work? What if it was all just a big hoax? I was almost too afraid to try. But the girl's hungry eyes convinced me. I lifted one corner and said, "Two beef stews, two roast duck legs, two barley loaves, and two apple pies. Please." Then, I held my breath. And slowly the food appeared. It grew from barely visible to large and substantial. I was almost afraid to touch the food, after it had appeared in such a fashion. The girl had no such qualms. She grabbed a duck leg and crammed it into her mouth without even a thank you. I ate as well. At least, that way I'm not completely wasting my time, I thought. Everything was delicious. I had always considered myself a fast eater but she was much faster. She ate with a frenzied urgency, stuffing her mouth until she could barely chew. She ate everything except the barley loaf, which she drew under her cape, awkardly holding it with the two fingers she had. She was probably saving it for later, I realized. And I wondered whether I had actually made such a significant difference in her life. Tonight, she would be hungry again. And tomorrow. And after tomorrow, she would sit in the same place, dependent on the mercy of strangers to stay alive.

She looked up at me, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Thank you, miss," she said.

I smiled. "You're welcome." She scrambled up, ready to leave. And suddenly, I felt like I had to learn a little more about her.

"What is your name?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Everyone calls me something different. I like to call myself Allie."

"How old are you, Allie?"

She shrugged again. 'Bout sixteen."

Sixteen? She was no younger than I was, and yet she seemed so small.

"Do you have any family, Allie?"

She studied her dirty feet. "Used to. I don't know where they are now. I've been on my own for about two years now."

Two years.

"Do you think your family would help you out, if they knew where you were?" I asked timidly.

She looked up, her eyes flashing. "My older sister knows where I am, all right. She walks by this tavern, several times a week. She has regular clients in this neighborhood. She offered me a job that she knew I would not take." She hurriedly turned away but not before I saw her eyes brimming.

I looked around. There were so many rich. Money was so easy to earn here. Surely, someone could care for a young girl… I took out the six coins I had left and held them out. Now that I had the tablecloth, I had no need for money. "Here, Allie," I said.

She glanced at the coins carelessly. "Keep 'em," she said. "I can't eat 'em and beggars aren't allowed inside the taverns. Thanks though." She paused and studied me. "They're always kind when they come in. It never stays."

"What do you mean, Allie?" I asked.

"People are always caring when they first move here. Then, they change. Always."

"But I'm not staying here," I protested, picking up the tablecloth. "I'm leaving this town right now."

"Are you?" she asked me. "People don't leave this town. Are you sure you can?"


End file.
